Lethal Allure: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 2)

by Olivia James

  Looking relieved, Bishop nodded. "Of course, Melissa. I remember her. She was really nice. It's great that you're helping out. Not many brothers would do that."

  "I've always been close to my family, plus I feel badly that Shaw is having to deal with this."

  "She's an amazing person," Bishop agreed, his fingers smoothing down his tie. "Wonderful, really. Have you talked to anyone else? I mean, anyone else she dated after me?"

  This guy wasn't all that smooth. It was easy to see that the answer mattered to him. A lot.

  "I've been talking to pretty much anyone who knows her."

  "Right, right. That would make sense."

  Sitting back in his chair, Luke gave Bishop a friendly smile. "So have you been in contact with Shaw lately?"

  Clearing his throat, Bishop shook his head. "No, I haven't spoken with her in quite awhile."

  "But you've texted her."

  Luke didn't phrase it as a question, because he knew for a fact that Eric Bishop had sent a text as recently as two weeks ago.

  "Just to ask her how she's doing," Bishop replied defensively. "Shaw and I are still good friends, you see."

  They really were not but this wasn't the time to argue the point.

  "It's nice that you've stayed friends," Luke said instead, rising from his chair. "I do appreciate your time this evening and thank you for answering a few of my questions."

  Bishop also rose from his chair and nervously ran his hand down his silk tie. Again.

  "I always want to help a friend. I hope you look more closely at her neighbor. He seemed a little strange."

  Placing his hand on the doorknob, Luke paused before exiting the office. "Just one more question, if you don't mind. Where were you the night of the twelfth, Mr. Bishop? Between seven and midnight."

  The other mans' lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes narrowed in anger. "I was here. Any of the staff can verify that. Why do you ask?"

  "Just good housekeeping. I need to make sure that I rule out everyone so that I can concentrate on the right people."

  "I would never hurt Shaw," he said between gritted teeth. "I care about her."

  "I appreciate you being so honest. Thank you." Luke opened the door and the sounds of voices drifted into the office. "I should be going now. As I said, thank you so much for talking to me tonight. You've been a great help."

  "That's all I want to do. Help Shaw if she needs it."

  Luke bid the man goodbye and headed for his car. He needed to get back to Shaw's soon. He didn't like leaving her alone even though she was determined to be that way.

  But this trip to see Eric Bishop had been worth it. He was far too attached still for an ex-boyfriend. As for whether his staff would back him up, Luke assumed that they would. It would, however, be fairly easy to sneak out the back door, go to Shaw's house, and then sneak back in. There was an exit right next to Bishop's office.

  He was still on Luke's list.

  16

  After Ryan left, Shaw wandered around the house, checking out the cameras and making sure the doors and windows were locked. She was safe and secure in her home, Luke and his friend had made sure of it, but now that the sun was going down and darkness was creeping in she was beginning to feel increasingly restless.

  I chose this. I didn't want to leave.

  Those thoughts didn't make anything better though. She kept walking around, peeking out the curtains to the house across the street. The lights were off again. Perhaps James wasn't home. Or if he was, then he had all the lights off which was a creepy thought in and of itself. For a moment, an image of him sitting in the dark - all alone in his living room - flashed through her mind. It was unsettling.

  I'm wound way too tight.

  A hot bath and glass of wine would do the trick. She filled the tub and then sunk down into it, letting all of her muscles relax and go limp. She took a sip from the wine glass on the edge of the tub and then let her head fall back, her eyes fluttering closed.

  Heaven. This feels so good.

  Sliding deeper down, Shaw let the water lap around her chin. She needed this. The last twenty-four hours had been far too stressful.

  What I need is a week on the beach, listening to the waves.

  That wasn't such a bad idea, actually. She could move her schedule around, pre-film several episodes for her channel. She could make it a girls' trip with Melissa and Taylor...or a romantic getaway with just her and Luke. They hadn't done much physically yet, but the undercurrent of desire was there between them. She could feel it and he did too. It was only a matter of time before they threw caution to the wind and ended up naked and sweaty between the sheets.

  If Luke was as thorough and caring in bed as he was out... It was going to be good. So very good. She had a feeling that they were going to have great chemistry. Frankly, she'd been disappointed in the past, but she'd never felt this sort of heat with anyone else before.

  She liked him. A lot. He was smart, funny, and caring. Plus, they had an intense attraction. It was weird that only a few weeks ago she'd been telling her friends that she didn't care if she was in a relationship. She was fine alone. Now she couldn't imagine her life without this man in it. It had happened so quickly, but here she was.

  I'm not mad about it either.

  Reaching for the wine glass again, she had to sit up to take another sip. Shaw wasn't a big drinker, but she liked a fruity wine on occasion. She'd never be one of those people who tasted a wine and could guess the vintage.

  Thump. Thump.

  The glass paused halfway to her lips, her hand frozen in midair. What was that?

  Shaw stayed perfectly still, straining to hear any sound from the rest of the house.

  Thump. Thump.

  It wasn't the ice maker in the refrigerator. She knew that sound. It wasn't the heater kicking on either. It wasn't any of the familiar sounds that a home makes and a resident becomes accustomed to. No house was truly silent even when there was only one occupant.

  Fuck. I left my phone in the bedroom.

  If she’d had it, she could have checked all the cameras but of course she'd placed it on the nightstand. She hadn't wanted to be interrupted while soaking in the tub.

  Levering out of the bath, she quickly ran a towel over her wet limbs and then slipped on her robe and slippers. It wasn't the best outfit for investigating suspicious noises, but it was going to have to do.

  Treading softly into the bedroom, she immediately opened the security app and scanned through the cameras on the outside of the house. The clarity of the picture was surprisingly good despite the lack of any sun whatsoever. It appeared that the motion-sensor light at the front of the house had been triggered but nowhere else. She didn't see anyone either, not even a squirrel.

  Anything could have triggered that light out front. A jogger or a dog.

  Ryan had warned her before he left that they would probably have to fine tune the motion sensors. He told her to let them know if birds or passing cars set them off.

  That's all it was. A passerby. Probably a car. And the noise could have been a bird or a squirrel. Maybe even a stray cat. I've seen those around the neighborhood. I'm overreacting.

  She was letting this situation get into her head and freak her out. Normally, she was as level-headed as they come, but she'd allowed this asshole to make her feel afraid.

  That pissed her off. She didn't want some stranger running her life. She was already struggling to be independent from her own mother.

  Tucking the phone into the pocket of her robe, she went back into the bathroom to retrieve the wine glass and pour the contents down the sink. Alcohol wasn't the answer tonight. She needed to keep a clear head on her shoulders.

  Rinsing the glass in the kitchen sink, she felt the phone in her pocket buzz with a text. Luke perhaps? He'd told her he had some business to take care of in the office, but it would be nice to talk to him. They'd planned to have breakfast together in the morning.

  Okay, I miss him already.
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  The text was from a number she didn't recognize. She opened it and a video began to play on loop. Her fingers tightened on the phone, the knuckles going white as the breath caught in her chest.

  It was the cake and candles from last night.

  Grabbing onto the countertop to keep her knees from giving out, a horrified Shaw watched the video over and over, scarcely believing her own eyes. Whoever had been in her house last night had taped themselves putting the cake on the table and lighting the candles. And now they'd sent her the video for her entertainment.

  Were they the ones making that noise?

  Were they here at her home? Outside? Were they watching?

  Her heart in her throat, she frantically pressed buttons to stop the video and pull up her phone contact list, scrolling to Luke. A few more buttons and his phone was ringing.

  "Shaw, how–"

  "Luke," she cut in, not letting him speak. "I just got a text from an unknown number. It's a video of the person that left the cake and lit the candles last night. I can't see who it is, but they sent it to me."

  "Okay, okay," he said in a soothing tone. "I'm going to come right there, okay? We're going to stay on the phone while I do it."

  He didn't understand. Mostly because she wasn't making much sense.

  "Luke, I was in the bathtub and I heard noises. Thumping noises. So I got out of the bathtub and checked the cameras but I didn't see anything although the front light was triggered. Then my phone buzzed and I–"

  "Shaw," Luke said in a firm voice, interrupting her explanation. "Open the front door for me. I'm right outside."

  Outside? He couldn't be outside. He was at home or at the office.

  "You don't understand," Shaw repeated, desperation and fear making her sound squeaky. "You need–"

  "Shaw," Luke said louder this time. "Open the front door. I am standing on the other side. Check the cameras if you don't believe me."

  There was no way he could be on the other side, but her shaky fingers fumbled to open the app.

  There he was. Standing on her front porch.

  Flying to the door, she jerked it open and crashed into him. He was solid and real and exactly what she needed at this moment.

  "Easy, honey," Luke said, pulling her into his arms and literally lifting her up and carrying her to the couch, his foot kicking the door closed behind them. "I've got you. I'm here."

  Clinging to him like a life preserver, she buried her face in his neck, breathing in his warm scent to help center herself.

  "How are you even here? You're supposed to be at the office."

  "I was done with work a while ago. I know you said you wanted to be on your own, but I thought you might be nervous. Plus, I frankly don't trust this son of a bitch even with cameras and an alarm system. I was watching you from my car a few houses down."

  She'd be angry about that tomorrow. He hadn't trusted her to take care of herself and she should be pissed the hell off, but at the moment why or how he was here didn't matter. It only mattered that he was.

  "I'm going to yell at you later."

  He nodded, his stubbly chin rubbing against her temple. "I fully expect you to. I was wrong to do it and you should be angry. I'll grovel for forgiveness."

  "I am glad you're here."

  "I'm glad too." He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Can you show me the video?"

  "Yes. It's creepy."

  They settled on the couch and she showed him the text she'd received from the unknown number. He'd said that he would check it out but spoofing numbers was easy and it would probably just be a dead end.

  A dead end. Like everything else. She ought to be used to it by now.

  Luke watched it several times, getting more frustrated with each viewing.

  "The bastard didn't give us much, did he?" Luke said grimly, handing her back the phone. "The lighting sucks and we didn't see much of his hands either. I'll have to take that video to work and have it enhanced. Maybe we can see an identifying feature."

  "If you had an identifying feature, would you allow it to be filmed?"

  "No, but he might not be aware of modern technology that would allow us to see things that he didn't count on."

  Shaw didn't have much hope. So far, this person hadn't made any mistakes.

  "Did you see my front porch light go on?"

  "I did. A couple with their dog walked by on the sidewalk. We'll need to fine tune the motion sensor. They actually set off a few others before yours. Looks like more than a few people have installed some security."

  Shaw nodded toward the window. "Are the lights still out? I mean, James's lights?"

  Luke stood and pulled the curtain back slightly. "I didn't see any lights all evening and it's still dark over there. Have you seen your neighbor at all today?"

  "No. He might be traveling again. He does that a lot."

  Dropping the curtain, Luke turned back to her. "I think it would be best if you didn't stay here tonight. You won't get any sleep and neither will I, although that was my original plan. Why don't you pack a bag and we can go back to my place? Tomorrow we'll reassess and figure out what to do."

  She couldn't wait to leave her house yet at the same time she didn't want to go. She didn't want this asshole to win, running her out of her own home. He shouldn't get to do that, and it made her angry.

  "Wow, your whole expression changed in seconds," Luke said. "You went from scared to furious in about two-point-two seconds."

  "I am mad," Shaw admitted. "I'm mad that I have to leave my house. I hate that he's winning."

  Luke shook his head. "This isn't a battle. At least not yet. He's not winning anything. We're just moving our base of operations temporarily to regroup and get a new plan. As I said before, he's clearly escalating and he's doing it quickly. As for being angry, I think you have a good reason for it, and it's healthy not to sit back passively. Get mad, get all pissed off, and then let's do something to make this situation go away. For good."

  "Passivity is not an issue that I think is a problem for me."

  "That's the best attitude because action is your friend in a case like this."

  "A case like this," she echoed with a sigh. "That sounds so fucking depressing."

  "I know but it is what it is. It's better to be clear about what we're dealing with. You have a stalker, Shaw. There is a person stalking you, and they're getting closer. In my experience, that's usually not a good thing. On the other hand, it gives us a chance to catch the asshole which can be a positive."

  "I want him caught. I want him - or her - out of my life."

  There were many things she wasn't sure of but that one fact she knew to be true. She wanted her life back. It hadn't been perfect, but it had been hers. Now it was beginning to feel like it belonged to someone else. He was calling the shots and she was only reacting.

  "We'll get him."

  Shaw wanted to believe that with all her heart.

  "I'm going to go get dressed and pack a bag."

  "I'll call Melissa. She was going to watch Dylan and Murphy for me tonight, but I'll let her know that we're heading back to my place."

  Inwardly groaning, Shaw rubbed at her temples. "Poor Melissa, getting dragged into my problems. And poor you. I doubt you signed up for this when she suggested we have coffee."

  "Best cup of coffee I've had in a long time," he declared with a grin. "I have no regrets."

  "It's early yet. You might later."

  She was grateful Luke wanted to help her out, but at what point would it all be too much of a hassle? When would he bail?

  And why did she care so much? The truth was hard to admit.

  She didn't want Luke to go anywhere. She wanted this to work out.

  Luke made a quick call to Melissa and then another to Ryan, who would now probably be up all night trying to enhance that video. God bless the guy, he never complained about not sleeping and in fact appeared to be inordinately proud of the fact he operated on about forty-five minutes a
night. Personally, Luke would have been a zombie after about two days.

  A second check out the front window showed the same situation with Hornsby across the street. All lights out. No movement whatsoever. He could easily get Jared or Reed to hack a database or two and find out if the neighbor was on a vacation, but he was trying to keep a low profile since the cops didn't want him a part of the investigation.

  Speaking of the police...

  Shaw hadn't called them about the video she'd received. Tomorrow, they'd need to go down to the station and report it, have it added to the case file. There wasn't anything actionable for the cops to do really except that it once and for all destroyed their theory that a friend had dropped in and left her a cake as a nice gesture. Which as far as Luke was concerned, was a decent enough reason to show them the video. Maybe they might get off their asses and talk to some of the people in Shaw's life.

  Like Eric Bishop, for example. Luke hadn't walked out of that restaurant earlier with a good vibe. He'd been far too interested in Shaw considering they'd been broken up for months.

  The headlights of a car flashed through the closed curtains. Luke peered outside and there was car in the driveway, lights on and engine running. The driver's door opened and a man stepped out, retrieved a flat box from the back seat and then jogged up to the door. A cursory inspection of the vehicle revealed a lighted sign on the roof of the car.

  Before getting the text, Shaw must have ordered a pizza. Shit, with everything going on she must have forgotten all about it.

  The doorbell rang and Luke opened it to a young man that looked maybe nineteen or twenty. He shoved the piping hot cardboard box at Luke, the scent of tomatoes and cheese wafting from the box.

  I forgot dinner. This smells good.

  "Pizza for Parker. A large with extra cheese and sausage."

  Luke could eat that. He was more of a pepperoni and mushroom type but at this point he wasn't going to be picky. It was a big box for Shaw alone, though. She must have been planning leftovers for tomorrow.